Himalayan salt can help mineralize and detoxify the body

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Wednesday, January 29, 2014 by: Michael Ravensthorpe

Salt is an essential nutrient that our bodies require for transporting nutrients into and out of our cells, regulating blood pressure, exchanging ions and much more. However, not all salts are equal. Table salt, which has been stripped of all its minerals except sodium and chloride, for instance, will not have the same positive biological impact upon our bodies as pure, unrefined salt that boasts a robust mineral profile.

One of the most nutritious and “complete” salts we can purchase today is Himalayan salt, a salt that has been formed over millions of years in the Himalayas and which contains so many macrominerals and trace minerals that it is actually pink in color. In this article, you’ll learn more about the health benefits of Himalayan salt and how it can help transform even the blandest of meals into a powerhouse of nutrition.

Reasons to love Himalayan salt

Rich in minerals – Himalayan salt’s biggest draw, of course, is its dense concentration of minerals. According to a spectral analysis provided by The Meadow, Himalayan salt contains 84 minerals, electrolytes and elements – a staggering number considering that only 118 elements are known to science. For this reason, adding more Himalayan salt to your diet can help rectify virtually any mineral deficiency you might have. Significantly, Himalayan salt contains iodine, magnesium, zinc, iron and calcium – the five minerals in which the United States population are most deficient. Widespread iodine deficiencies (largely blamed on ongoing soil erosion) is an especially serious issue, since iodine plays an essential role in the functioning of the metabolism-controlling thyroid gland. If you add more Himalayan salt to your food, however, you won’t need to worry about an iodine deficiency ever again.

Sodium content – Unsurprisingly, one of the minerals in which Himalayan salt is richest is sodium. Though sodium suffers from a bad reputation due to its connection with processed foods, real, unprocessed sodium is needed by our bodies. It helps regulate blood volume and thus blood pressure, but also helps control muscle contractions, heart functions and nerve transmissions. The recommended daily intake (RDI) of sodium is between 1,500-2,300 milligrams for men and women between the ages of 9-50; one teaspoon of Himalayan salt contains approximately 400 milligrams of it.

Detoxification – Though it is traditionally eaten with food, Himalayan salt’s impressive mineral profile also lends it well to external detoxification. For example, you can’t find a better salt than Himalayan salt in which to bathe; its minerals and negative ions easily penetrate the skin, producing a cleansing and detoxifying effect that can leave your skin and mind feeling rejuvenated and invigorated for hours thereafter. Likewise, Himalayan salt has a positive effect on our air. It’s not a coincidence that virtually all reputable salt lamps are made using Himalayan salt rather than table salt or sea salt; its negative ions bind themselves to positive ions in the air, neutralizing it and ridding it of pollutants.

Purchasing advice – Himalayan salt can be purchased in health food stores or online, and is usually sold as fine or coarse grains. Fine-grained Himalayan salt is recommend, since the small, unobtrusive crystals are far easier to incorporate into most meals. When purchasing your salt, remember to check that it is pink in color; this indicates that the salt is dense in minerals.

Sources for this article include:

http://www.atthemeadow.com

http://www.smartlivingnetwork.com

http://science.naturalnews.com/salt.html

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/043692_Himalayan_salt_detoxify_mineral_deficiency.html#ixzz2roiL8NTE

Wall Street Journal – Larry Levy With Chris and Tracie Vlaun

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WHAT’S YOUR WORKOUT
A Restaurant Chairman Whittles His Waist
Levy Restaurants Chairman Larry Levy Fitness Secrets

Fitness experts often say you should mix up your workout routine. That is easy for Larry Levy. The 69-year old restaurant executive has a workout to match each of the cities he frequents.

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The remarkable health benefits of Epsom salt baths

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Saturday, November 02, 2013 by: Dr. David Jockers

Epsom salts have been used by many different cultures for hundreds of years. They have a number of different beneficial properties and are used in gardening, household cleaning and detoxifying the body. These salts are very inexpensive and can be purchased at bulk discounts in garden centers nearly everywhere. Using Epsom salt baths is an advanced detoxification strategy that has remarkable health benefits.

Epsom salts are named for a bitter saline spring located at Epsom in Surrey, England. Epsom is different than traditional salts in that it is actually a naturally occurring pure mineral compound of magnesium and sulfate. These minerals have very powerful health benefits that can enhance the detoxification capabilities of the body.

How an Epsom salt bath works:

Magnesium and sulfate are both readily absorbed through the skin and into the body’s blood stream. The skin is a highly porous membrane that both takes in minerals and eliminates toxins every day. Using a powerful mineral base such as Epsom salts in a bathwater medium creates a process called reverse osmosis. This process pulls salt and harmful toxins out of the body and allows the magnesium and sulfates to enter into the body.

Magnesium plays a critical role in over 325 enzymes, helps to improve muscle and nerve function, reduces inflammation and improves blood flow and oxygenation throughout the body. Sulfates are necessary building blocks for healthy joints, skin and nervous tissue. Epsom salts replenish the body’s magnesium levels and sulfates. This combination helps to flush toxins from the body and helps build key protein molecules in the brain tissue and joints.

The use of regular Epsom salt baths has been shown to improve the symptoms of many health conditions including athlete’s foot, gout, toenail fungus, sprains, bruises and muscle soreness. It is also good for anyone dealing with chronic disease or chronic pain to do regular Epsom baths to help detoxify and de-inflame while improving mineral and sulfur balance in the body.

Contraindications to Epsom baths would be if you are pregnant, dehydrated or have open wounds or burns on your skin. Individuals who are suffering with cardiovascular disease should always consult with a natural health physician who is familiar with the health benefits of Epsom salt baths before starting.

How to take an Epsom salt bath:

The first step is to schedule yourself at least 40 minutes, as you need about 20 minutes to remove the toxins, and for the second 20 minutes, the body absorbs the minerals in the bath water.
Fill up your bath with warm water. Be sure to have a water filtration system in your house, as you don’t want to bathe in tap water that has toxic chlorine, fluoride, dioxins and heavy metals. Add in the Epsom salts in the following amounts:

Children under 60 lbs: Add 1/2 cup of salts to a standard size bath
Individuals between 60-100 lbs: Add 1 cup of salts to a standard size bath
Individuals between 100-150 lbs: Add 1 1/2 cup of salts to a standard size bath
Individuals between 150-200 lbs: Add 2 cups of salts to a standard size bath
For every 50lbs larger – add in an additional 1/2 cup of salts.

Additional strategies to apply with an Epsom salt bath

Adding in a 1/2 cup of olive oil is also very good for the skin, as the polyphenols soak into the skin and give extra antioxidant benefits. Adding ginger or cayenne can increase your heat levels, which will help you to sweat out toxins. You can add anywhere from 1 tbsp to 1/2 a cup to stimulate sweating, and these herbs are loaded with antioxidants that will enhance the detoxification process as well.

Do not use soap with an Epsom salt bath, as it will interfere with the action of the minerals and the detoxification process. Try to rest for an hour or two afterwards unless you have arthritic joints, in which case you will want to stay active as much as possible to prevent congestion in the joints.

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Many Benefits of Chinese cupping therapy

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Friday, October 11, 2013 by: Ethan A. Huff


Many of our readers are probably already familiar with some of the more popular modalities of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), such as acupuncture, massage therapy and herbal medicine. But did you know that there is another lesser-known TCM treatment protocol known as cupping therapy that can help relieve a host of maladies?

The protocol, which involves applying small cups or jars to the skin and suctioning it away from the body, dates as far back as 1500 B.C., when ancient Egyptians used it to treat fever, vertigo, menstrual imbalance, poor appetite, pain and a variety of other health conditions. Taoist herbalists later used cupping therapy to induce relaxation, expel toxins from the body and promote healthy blood flow, among many other uses.

Today, this simple and highly versatile technique is still beneficial for all sorts of health conditions, which makes it an excellent alternative to drugs and surgery for many people. Whether they are made of glass, bamboo or modern materials like silicon, these unique little cups have a confirmed track record of clinical efficacy that renders them worthy of further investigation.

How does Chinese cupping therapy work? According to the Pacific College of Oriental Medicine (PCOM), a TCM practitioner will first create suction inside the cups, one method of which involves applying rubbing alcohol to the bottom of the cups and lighting them on fire. When the flame is put out and the generated heat eventually cools, the air inside the cups contracts to create a natural suction.

The cups are then placed on the skin and either moved across it in a continuous motion, a process known as gliding cupping, or kept isolated and gently lifted. In both methods, the suction inside the cups lifts the skin away from the body to create negative pressure, as opposed to the positive pressure induced by massage. This negative pressure helps loosen muscle tissue, promote healthy blood flow and sedate the nervous system.

“Generally, cupping is combined with acupuncture in one treatment, but it can also be used alone,” explains PCOM. “Cupping is used to relieve back and neck pains, stiff muscles, anxiety, fatigue, migraines, rheumatism, and even cellulite.”

Cupping therapy combined with acupuncture can provide amazing relief

One of the reasons why cupping therapy is often coupled with acupuncture is that both treatments follow the body’s natural meridian lines, which are believed to be the pathways through which the body’s “life energy,” or “qi,” flows. Since it is traditionally used on the back, cupping therapy follows the back’s five meridian lines, which is meant to both align and relax the qi and open up all the channels through which energy flows.

“Cupping is one of the best deep-tissue therapies available,” adds PCOM. “It is thought to affect tissues up to four inches deep from the external skin. Toxins can be released, blockages can be cleared, and veins and arteries can be refreshed within these four inches of affected materials. Even hands, wrists, legs, and ankles can be ‘cupped,’ thus applying the healing to specific organs that correlate with these points.”

Cupping therapy has also been effectively used to treat lung and respiratory conditions, including asthma symptoms and the common cold. In fact, respiratory ailments are among the earliest recorded conditions for which cupping therapy was deemed beneficial.

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